Annarite

Volatile and often hated, the Annarites are native to the Middle Lands, and claimed by the Red as his chosen race. Physically, they tend to be tall and broad-shouldered with a very humanistic appearance. The only major differences are their hair, which runs from steel gray to white, and their skin, which is both tougher than humans’ and can range in color from ebony black to dark red. Originally created by Prothidian Altar–the Mad Mage–to be servants of evil, the accusation that the entire race in it of itself is evil, is, indeed, a bit of an overstatement. While Annarites are blunt and quick tempered, they do show a remarkable amount of discipline as well. They work hard in their harsh environment, and are more than capable of showing to compassion–albeit usually only to their own kind.

Society: Being residents of the harsh, cold and rocky terrain of the Middle Lands shapes the Annarite society more-so than any other race. Very few crops can be grown, and issues of trust and the difficult terrain make trading with them even for their vast resources of ores very difficult. So, a culture based around the raiding for supplies has sprung up for the Annarites, where constant border skirmishes are seen as a national past time as well as a necessary method for survival. This, along with their difficult to navigate terrain, has left them rather isolated, and little is known of their actual culture.

We do know the Middle Lands are subject to the power struggles between vying Warlords, and the lack of either stable civilization or official government causes a great rift in social classes. The only way to gain power in their society is to be born with power, or raise up a powerful enough army to take it. Warlords tend to keep a tight hold of their people, and laws vary from place to place, though most are harsh, and even border on nonexistent.

Humans within the Middle Lands are often the product of such raids to neighboring countries, and serve as a secondary slave-race within the country. Half-breeds born out of rape are often treated with contempt– however, children ‘claimed’ by Annarites during raids are often treated as full society members, even when not being Annarite themselves. The distinctions as to why certain children are accepted over others is not clear.

It should also be noted that despite the vast implications, a good deal of Annarites will insist that they follow no Way vs actually all following the Red’s Way, though such data is subject to suspicion.

At their best: Annarites are powerful warriors and skillful trackers. They have a natural knack for surviving outdoors and are summarily unafraid of physical pain or death.

At their worst: Annarites can be blunt, cruel, and vicious. They can also be extremely isolationist and very, very dangerous.